Need advice on bike packing from Wisconsin to North Carolina

[aphopps]

I live in Wisconsin and want to move out west by bike.  My current situation:  I graduate college in about a year and a half, have very little money but very little debt, and have very little experience traveling let alone bike packing.  Where and how do I begin to plan this journey?

[Val Garou]

Isn't moving from Wisconsin to North Carolina a distinctly eastward trip?

Tell us more on what you want to do. Is this a pavement trip? A mountain bike trip? A gravel and dirt road trip? Probably some combination of the above, but let's at least talk percentages.

Do you have a bike or are you going to buy one?

Have you been over to visit the website of the Adventure Cycling Association? 
Read around on Crazy Guy on a Bike?
Checked the touring sections of the the major bike boards? 

[brassnipples]

I live in Wisconsin and want to move out west by bike. 

You may want to start off with a map and compass (NC ain't west of you)

If you are going to be moving your stuff you'll likely need a way to haul it, start looking at bike trailers (B.O.B trailers are a good place to start) and/or a cargo bike (Surly Big Dummy is a good place to start)

[aphopps]

Eastward, my bad. I want it to be a combination of gravel, dirt, technical/rocky, etc. Not interested in road riding but would if I had to. I have an aggressive hybrid style bike with front suspension... So I'll probably have to get a mountain bike but not sure what type of mountain bike. I don't plan on taking much of my stuff.
How much and what type of gear will I need?
How much food should I bring?
How much money do you suggest I should save?

[fotooutdoors]

Where to start? Have you done any bike touring or backpacking? If not, start doing some short tours on your current bike to gain experience and make sure that you want to spend several weeks/a month (depending on your speed) on a bike. Having other wilderness experience (multi-day backpacking, canoe camping, etc) helps with confidence in navigating bad weather especially. Rail trails are easy ways to get on gravel (including on a hybrid) and often pass near/through state parks or other wild areas.

I think this is an important step before you start asking about food, budget and gear. FWIW, I have road toured a number of times for the cost of my food (I carried a stove and some basic spices, so not much more than at home) and occasional lodging (I stealth camp about half the time). In other words, your priorities (speed vs comfort vs convenience) will dictate budget.

Route planning will be fun. Or not, depending how much you like maps and poring through online trails of information (and how well you want your route defined). Where specifically are you starting? What is the relative importance of budget vs staying on dirt?

You will likely do better for dirt crossing lake Michigan on a ferry ($$$) and patching together some of the North country trail (NCT- there are several posts on this here) and back roads. That is, unless you are in n Wisconsin, and then you can just ride through the UP and down through the mitten on the NCT. Several folks have posted up routes through the UP (though they will likely route you too far north). Southern Wisconsin is mainly paved (minus the badger state trail), and then you need to get through or around Chicago.

If you want more help thinking about a route, feel free to pm me. I live in Madison, grew up in central Ohio, and did college in northwestern Virginia and have road toured from Ohio to Madison, so I could perhaps give some more detailed thoughts if you go east then South... I will be much less helpful if you plan to go south then cut East.

Typed on my phone. Pardon the autocorrect.